Progressive Views on the News

Comfort and Good Care

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Terminally ill patients who opt to receive hospice care won’t die any faster as a result of that choice, according to Korean researchers.

Their findings add to a recent U.S. debate over hospices, which some fear might accelerate the decline of very sick people.

Hospice care focuses on easing the pain and distress of people whose doctors have ruled out any chance of recovery, instead of offering aggressive medical treatment, which often comes with side effects.

In the U.S., most people receive hospice care at home. The major goal is to make patients comfortable as the end of life nears, using techniques that are not available from other medical specialties.

I think some people live longer on Hospice, with the extra care and attention to comfort.

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3 thoughts on “Comfort and Good Care”

My father in law just started on hospice care today.He has end stage Alzeimer’s.They put in a feeding tube.
Trouble with Alzheimer’s is how do you know if they are in pain?
My father had home hospice.Strong people who work on that job because they never see anything good.

It’s hard to see such an an individual just completely fade away.He emigrated here in 1940 when he was 17 from Honduras and with just a few years of school.
He wound up being an officer in the Merchant Marine and Chief Engineer for the Keyspan HQ in NYC.he learned stuff like calculus on his own.
Now he can’t speak,eat,or recognize anyone.